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Modal verbs

1.
MODAL VERBS
David Corredor

2.
¿What is a modal verb?
O Modal verbs are verbs, wich go ahead of others,
for example:
I play
I can play
O It adds a particular nuance to the meaning of the
verb:
I play: (yo) juego
I can play: (yo) puedo/ sé jugar
(we understand that there are possibilities to he/she
plays or has the ability to play something)

3.
There are many modal verbs that you already know: can, must,
could, have to, might, will, would, should, ... And each one is used
to provide some extra meaning.
O I can play
can: poder> habilidad o posibilidad > Puedo jugar
O I must play
must: deber> obligación > Debo jugar
O I should play
should: debería> obligación muy suave o consejo > Debería jugar
O I have to play
have to: tener que> fuerte obligación > Tengo que jugar
O I would play
would: > condición o potencialidad > Jugaría si

4.
¿How does it work?
O Are unchanged, like this...
She can dance (is not added «s» with the 3rd singular
person)
O It does not needs do / does / did, to the negative form or
interrogative form
O For the negative form is added «not» behind:
We should not smoke (take care with “have to”)
O For the interrogative form it is exchanged with the
subject
Must you go? ( take care with “have to”)
O It can not be auxiliary to each other:
I would can buy it (we use “could”)

5.
¿What is the meaning of each one?
O Abiliy: can / could
I could run faster when I was younger.
O Possibility: can / could / may / might
It might snow in September.
O Obligation: have to / must / should
You have to carry your Identification Card.
O Permission: may / could / can
May I come in, Mr Johnson?
O Certain: must
It must be nine already.
O Suggestion / offering: shall
Shall I close the door?
O Conditionality / potentiality: would
I would go if you invite me.

8.
O PERMISSION: may / could / can
podría / podría / puedo
(from more formal to less formal)
For example:
May I add something to your remark?
Podría añadir algo a su puntualización?
Could I add something to your idea?
Podría añadir algo a su idea?
Can I add something to that?
Puedo añadir algo a eso?

9.
Semimodal Verb
O Tere is a verb seen from above, that is not Modal properly
but Semimodal, cause sometimes it follows other rules:
HAVE TO
Look:
She has to finish it ( changes depending on the
subject)
I don´t have to go (it has not «not» behind)
Did you have to write it? (It does not exchanged its
site with the subject in the interrogative form)